Jitscale Offers Companies Tips to Keep Data Safe in the Cloud

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The sudden closing of enterprise cloud storage provider Nirvanix has left more than 1,000 of their customers scrambling to quickly migrate data to new providers. Cloud infrastructure provider Jitscale today outlined some tips that will help companies keep their cloud-based data safe in the event of an unexpected disruption in service.

"While some skeptics have used the Nirvanix closure to bolster their belief that the cloud is not safe for a company's data or platforms, Jitscale does not subscribe to this point of view," said Eelco van Beek, chief executive officer at Jitscale. "The benefits of the cloud are numerous and remain relevant, despite the failure of one company."

So how can companies avoid a similar scenario with their cloud providers, and more importantly, their information? Jitscale has compiled a list of the five most important design principles for keeping your data safe.

1. Diversify your storage

Keep duplicate data in separate clouds and "never put all your eggs in one basket."

2. Design for failure

Assume your storage service provider will fail one day and develop a Disaster Recovery procedure beforehand that will allow you to switch over to a different storage solution.

3. Make sure you can trust your provider

Because it's critical that you trust your storage service provider, ask yourself these important questions:

Do they have a Disaster Recovery procedure in place?

Do they have industry standard certifications (for example ISO27001 for Information Security)?

Is the provider financially healthy?

How do they prevent their employees from accessing your data?

4. Encrypt your data

Make it a routine practice to use encryption for all your data. Don't store your encryption keys with your data, then you won't have to worry about the security of your information.

5. Use a multi-vendor approach

Your storage service provider should support multiple cloud vendors. This makes it easy to switch to a different cloud vendor within hours or days if necessary. A dual cloud-provider architecture is ideal.

"Following these steps will enable you to deal with any situation that could disrupt service," said van Beek. "With careful planning, you can protect your data while still taking advantage of cloud computing's benefits."